The Old Dutchman

One of the best things about using beer in cocktails is that the possibilities are endless. There are thousands of beers out there, each with its own flavor profile. In addition to just using beer on its own as an ingredient, beer can also easily be turned into a flavored syrup or liqueur, opening up new avenues of creativity for beer cocktails.

I think that the use of beer syrups in cocktails is a fantastic way to incorporate the flavors of a beer without adding carbonation to your drink, because lets face it, not every drink needs to be bright and sparkly. Sometimes you need something stronger that is going to linger in the glass a while.

I came up with this variation on an old fashioned while playing around with an IPA syrup one night at the bar. If possible use a well hopped beer (or dry hopped if you want more of those hop aromas to remain) for the syrup.

To make the syrup:
16 oz beer
1 cup Sugar
Reduce beer by about half using medium heat. Do not allow beer to boil 😉
Remove from heat, add sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
Cool, and fine strain to remove the beer head.
Syrup should be stored cool and consumed within a week. If you are wanting it to last longer, add 8oz Vodka and turn it into a beer liqueur.